Solaris at Transexpo 2018: The debut of Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid and Urbino in the new design

The 14th International Fair of Public Transport TRANSEXPO in Kielce, which will be held on 23-25 October of 2018, will include the presentation of three Solaris vehicles. One of them will be a completely new product of the company – the Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid. The two other products are well-known on the market: the Solaris Urbino 12 electric and the Solaris Urbino 12 hybrid. These buses will debut in new versions, which received an automotive “facelift”.

Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid

The “low-calorie” name of the vehicle refers to its biggest advantage: low fuel consumption reducing the costs of exploitation in comparison to similar products available on the market. The main objective of the engineers of the Solaris Research and Development Office who developed the Urbino lite hybrid was to create a bus, which would consume less than 30 litres of fuel per 100 km in the SORT 2 test.

The engineering work was focused on multiple areas in order to accomplish the above, but one of the main factors was reduction of the vehicle’s weight. The curb weight of the Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid is under 9 tonnes and its weight with passengers is 15 tonnes.

The heart of the drive system in the new Urbino model is the Cummins ISBE6 engine with volume of only 4.5 litres. The unit, which fulfils the restrictive EURO 6 exhaust emission standard, has 210 HP and torque of 850 Nm. The drive system of the Urbino LE lite hybrid is also equipped with an electrical machine with nominal power of 11.5 kW, which is tasked with recuperating energy during the braking process and supporting the combustion engine when the vehicle starts moving, which consequentially leads to it consuming less fuel.

The Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid will be available in version with two door in the 2-2-0 arrangement. The bus will be able to take up to 85 passengers, 41 of them seated. The front axle of the vehicle is provided by ZF RL55 and the drive axle is DANA type G150. The size of the wheels used in the vehicle differs from the standard solutions applied in Solaris city buses. This vehicle will be equipped with wheels of a smaller diameter: 19.5 inches. The wheelbase of the Solaris Urbino LE lite hybrid is 5900 mm with front overhang of 2550 mm and rear overhang of 3240 mm.

Despite having a “slimmed-down” build and several new components, the Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid, is uncompromising when it comes to the safety and comfort of both the passengers and the drivers, which is true for all Solaris products. The safety standards fulfilled by the vehicle include those specified in provisions R29 and R66.

“The new Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid is specifically for bus operators who see high value in low fuel emission with preservation of as much comfort as possible for passengers and drivers. Our clients receive the quality and durability guarantee to which the Solaris brand obliges,” said Zbigniew Palenica, Vice President of Solaris in charge of Sales, Marketing, After Sales, and the Department of Rail Vehicles.

The project is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Program 2014-2020.

Solaris Urbino with a new design

The Solaris Urbino 12 LE lite hybrid will be accompanied at the Transexpo fair by two other buses: the Solaris Urbino 12 electric and the Solaris Urbino 12 hybrid with serial hybrid system, which are already well-known on the market but will debut with a new design, which will become the standard for all Urbino and Trollino city vehicles as of January 2019.

The current generation of Solaris city buses debuted in 2014. Over the past four years on the market, these buses have gained tremendous recognition, which is evidenced in awards like the prestigious 2017 “Bus of The Year” for the Solaris Urbino 12 electric.

“The endless changes on the automotive market, specifically the ones in the field of buses, force continuous development of new products in order to meet the growing expectations of our clients: drivers, passengers, and buyers of the vehicles we design and make. Due to the above, we are currently introducing further improvements in Solaris city buses, four years after releasing the current generation to the market. The facelift is evolutionary and optimises the current solutions. We are certain that we have discovered the right combination of style and function to increase the attractiveness and pleasure from using our vehicles even more,” explains Dariusz Michalak, PhD, Eng, Vice President of the Solaris Management Board in charge of Research and Development, and Quality Assurance. Apart from the designer conditions, the changes in the external appearance of the Urbino also have a pragmatic side as they were correlated with work on the Solaris Urbino LE lite hybrid. Consequentially, starting from January of 2019 all new Solaris vehicles will have a coherent look.

The new Solaris bus design offers measurable advantages for their users:

• New front light system composed in 100% of LED technology. Instead of the previous 5 reflectors, all lights (low beam, high beam, fog, running, and turn signals) are now replaced with 3 reflectors.
• The new design of the front of the bus provides the driver with greater visibility.
• The new shape of the front wall makes the bus more aerodynamic.
• The new shape of the roof covers means easier installation, maintenance, and discharge of water from the bus roof.
• The visibility of the front destination sign for passengers is improved.

“Just like our clients have grown to love the new Solaris Urbino generation, I am sure that they will be fond of the designing changes in the presented buses. They will definitely be appreciated by the drivers, who will have an even more comfortable workplace, and the passengers, who will have the opportunity to take an even more innovative vehicle and thus be more willing to take public transit,” says Zbigniew Palenica, Vice President of the Solaris Management Board.

The Transexpo fair in Kielce will take place on 23-25 October 2018. Solaris would like to invite you to visit its stand, which will be located in hall E.